Chapter 10
This chapter is about the state troopers trying to identify the body of Chris McCandless. They follow different leads that end up to lead nowhere such as his sweatshirt logo and possibility of field biologist. When Jim Gallien saw the story about Chris he called in to the troopers to give his knowledge towards the case. Next, Wayne Westerberg heard a broadcast about Chris and immediately called the Alaskan troopers and was told that he was one of more than 150 other callers that thought they knew who the person was. The last person that Krakauer mentions is Sam McCandless who at first didn't even consider that the unidentified hiker was Chris but when he receives the description he realizes that it is Chris. He then drove the Maryland to tell Walt and Billie about Chris's death. Chapter 11
This chapter goes into detail about Chris's family and childhood. His father, Walt, is a very smart man who worked for NASA in his early years later to work with his wife, Billie in a small family business. It is revealed that there is a strong tension in the family and many arguments and treats of divorce between the two parents. Walt talks about how the family often took long outdoor trips together. The chapter also reveals Chris’s grandfather, Loren Johnson, who was a trucker who never stayed too long in one place and loved nature passionately and even cried over the animals he killed to feed his family. There was a close to his grandfather and loved spending time with him. He was also very close to his sister, Carine. Chris’s academic record is shown that he only received one F while every other grade was an A. This was because he did not follow the order in which the lab procedure had to be done in Physics class and therefore was failed. Chris enjoyed anything that could be done through sheer will power and determination rather than skill and expertise. This is shown in his interest towards cross-country, in which he would take his teammates into the woods until they were lost and then have to keep running until they weren’t anymore. However, he did not enjoy things like racquetball and golf in which he would ignore any skill involved in the sport. McCandless always talked about the social problems in the worlds and spent a lot of his free time with the homeless and disabled helping them with food and trying to move on with their lives even allowing one to stay in his family’s Airstream next to the house. Chris did not want to attend college however eventually he gave into his parent’s badgering. Chapter 12 During Chris’s graduation he is very happy and is smiling as he walks on the stage. He also buys his dad an expensive gift and tells him even though they have their differences he still loves and respects him. He takes a long trip during his summer off with his parent’s credit card and instructions to call every three days. At first he follows this guideline but eventually the calls become farther apart until he stops completely. He then shows up a few months later just in time for college looking malnourished, and almost dehydrated apparently having been lost in the Mojave Desert. During college he becomes cold and almost cynical towards his parents and even his old friends. This is discovered to be because while he was in California he visited where he grew up in his early years and learned his family’s dark secret. Walt had been having an affair on his former wife with Billie and Chris was actually a result of this sinful act. This infuriated Chris but instead of yelling and confronting his father, he remained silent and became more secluded from his family. Eventually, Chris finally broke away from his family, leaving them in anguish over worry about their son. Billie still left a note for Chris every time she left the house and circled back around to look at any hitchhiker that resembled Chris. Chapter 13 This chapter focuses on Chris’s sister, Carine McCandless. She talks about how similar she and Chris were in that they were both very smart and very opinionated. However, she made peace with her parents while Chris broke away. She now works with her husband in their own business in which she is already a millionaire in her 20’s. However, she finds her work ironic because she hated how her parents worked all the time like she does now. Chris's death has affected her greatly. She talks about how she cried every day and its even effected her family's diet.
Chapter 14
In this chapter, Krakauer again talks about Chris's final postcard to Westerberg that stated that he believed he would die. However, Krakauer still believes that Chris did not mean to die and that it was merely an accident. He relates to Chris by talking about his own overbearing father and his obssession with climbing. When Krakauer was 23 years old, he attempts to climb the Devils thumb alone also planning a 20 mile ski to even reach the mountain. He did this while reading books be Nietzshe, Kerouace, and John Menlove Edwards. He carries around the picture of the mountain he is attemping to climb that excites him and yet scares him. He quits his carpentry job, and leaves for Alaska leaving everything behind. He then hitches a ride as a crew member of the Ocean Queen until he reaches Petersberg. After reaching the city he is offered dinner and a place to sleep by a local woman named Kai Sandburn. He finds that he enjoys human contact but continues with his adventure. He uses poles to save his life multiple types that keep him from falling through ice and holes that he steps on. He talks about he emotions that he goes through and tries to relate to Chris through these feelings and his situation. Krakauer becomes ill and makes camp where food is to be airdropped for him. The farther he climbs, the more confident he becomes. However, eventually he realizes that to continue with the climb could result in his death so he finally decides that he cannot finish the climb and descends the mountain
This chapter is about the state troopers trying to identify the body of Chris McCandless. They follow different leads that end up to lead nowhere such as his sweatshirt logo and possibility of field biologist. When Jim Gallien saw the story about Chris he called in to the troopers to give his knowledge towards the case. Next, Wayne Westerberg heard a broadcast about Chris and immediately called the Alaskan troopers and was told that he was one of more than 150 other callers that thought they knew who the person was. The last person that Krakauer mentions is Sam McCandless who at first didn't even consider that the unidentified hiker was Chris but when he receives the description he realizes that it is Chris. He then drove the Maryland to tell Walt and Billie about Chris's death.
Chapter 11
This chapter goes into detail about Chris's family and childhood. His father, Walt, is a very smart man who worked for NASA in his early years later to work with his wife, Billie in a small family business. It is revealed that there is a strong tension in the family and many arguments and treats of divorce between the two parents. Walt talks about how the family often took long outdoor trips together. The chapter also reveals Chris’s grandfather, Loren Johnson, who was a trucker who never stayed too long in one place and loved nature passionately and even cried over the animals he killed to feed his family. There was a close to his grandfather and loved spending time with him. He was also very close to his sister, Carine. Chris’s academic record is shown that he only received one F while every other grade was an A. This was because he did not follow the order in which the lab procedure had to be done in Physics class and therefore was failed. Chris enjoyed anything that could be done through sheer will power and determination rather than skill and expertise. This is shown in his interest towards cross-country, in which he would take his teammates into the woods until they were lost and then have to keep running until they weren’t anymore. However, he did not enjoy things like racquetball and golf in which he would ignore any skill involved in the sport. McCandless always talked about the social problems in the worlds and spent a lot of his free time with the homeless and disabled helping them with food and trying to move on with their lives even allowing one to stay in his family’s Airstream next to the house. Chris did not want to attend college however eventually he gave into his parent’s badgering.
Chapter 12
During Chris’s graduation he is very happy and is smiling as he walks on the stage. He also buys his dad an expensive gift and tells him even though they have their differences he still loves and respects him. He takes a long trip during his summer off with his parent’s credit card and instructions to call every three days. At first he follows this guideline but eventually the calls become farther apart until he stops completely. He then shows up a few months later just in time for college looking malnourished, and almost dehydrated apparently having been lost in the Mojave Desert. During college he becomes cold and almost cynical towards his parents and even his old friends. This is discovered to be because while he was in California he visited where he grew up in his early years and learned his family’s dark secret. Walt had been having an affair on his former wife with Billie and Chris was actually a result of this sinful act. This infuriated Chris but instead of yelling and confronting his father, he remained silent and became more secluded from his family. Eventually, Chris finally broke away from his family, leaving them in anguish over worry about their son. Billie still left a note for Chris every time she left the house and circled back around to look at any hitchhiker that resembled Chris.
Chapter 13
This chapter focuses on Chris’s sister, Carine McCandless. She talks about how similar she and Chris were in that they were both very smart and very opinionated. However, she made peace with her parents while Chris broke away. She now works with her husband in their own business in which she is already a millionaire in her 20’s. However, she finds her work ironic because she hated how her parents worked all the time like she does now. Chris's death has affected her greatly. She talks about how she cried every day and its even effected her family's diet.
Chapter 14
In this chapter, Krakauer again talks about Chris's final postcard to Westerberg that stated that he believed he would die. However, Krakauer still believes that Chris did not mean to die and that it was merely an accident. He relates to Chris by talking about his own overbearing father and his obssession with climbing. When Krakauer was 23 years old, he attempts to climb the Devils thumb alone also planning a 20 mile ski to even reach the mountain. He did this while reading books be Nietzshe, Kerouace, and John Menlove Edwards. He carries around the picture of the mountain he is attemping to climb that excites him and yet scares him. He quits his carpentry job, and leaves for Alaska leaving everything behind. He then hitches a ride as a crew member of the Ocean Queen until he reaches Petersberg. After reaching the city he is offered dinner and a place to sleep by a local woman named Kai Sandburn. He finds that he enjoys human contact but continues with his adventure. He uses poles to save his life multiple types that keep him from falling through ice and holes that he steps on. He talks about he emotions that he goes through and tries to relate to Chris through these feelings and his situation. Krakauer becomes ill and makes camp where food is to be airdropped for him. The farther he climbs, the more confident he becomes. However, eventually he realizes that to continue with the climb could result in his death so he finally decides that he cannot finish the climb and descends the mountain